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"Great read every day. Makes me smile as Rab muses about music and his irreverent views on the EU. Tune in, you won't be disappointed."

"Excellent 'Blog' which can be controversial at times, while maintaining it's humour. Keep it up Big Rab!"

"Updated every day with doses of good humour, political satire, a running commentary on the progress of author's home football team and his life."

"Pure brilliant, so it is - I never miss it, though God knows, I've tried."

"An inspiration to start my own blog"

"For dipping into it's better than pakora sauce"

"Anyone who doesn't like the EU and has a soft spot for Albion Rovers can't be all bad"

"Facile and False"

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"Utter pish! Keep it up, I love it!"

"People may also find the Ben Lomond Free Press blog illuminating, interesting and/or amusing. It’s not mentalist as such but familiar themes emerge. I particularly like accounts of encounters with strange elementals (of course! ELEmentals!) from elfin safety. And the fact that the blog is run by someone who plays in a blues band called Harmonica Lewinsky."

The recession/depression/slump I’m talking about. I personally think that all the talk of it being over in a year to eighteen months is wildly optimistic.

Even at this stage only a month after the big bank bail out it looks like another one is necessary. So it’s clear that even the estimates of a month ago were underestimating the seriousness of the situation.

There is a clear danger here of rampant unemployment, stagflation and the breakdown of law and order.

A trusting shopkeeper who did not want to close up shop but wanted to take Boxing Day off decided to leave his store open for customers to help themselves. Tom Algie, 47, set up an “honesty box” with a note urging shoppers to purchase what they wanted and to leave their payment behind.

When the divorcee returned at 4.15pm to close up the DIY store, Practically Everything, in Settle, North Yorkshire – he discovered he had made £187.66.

Mr Algie said: “I didn’t think twice about leaving the shop open.
“Settle is a lovely quiet rural town and there’s never any trouble here. I put my faith in my customers and I wasn’t disappointed.”

The most heartwarming gift for the father-of-two were some notes of thanks. One read: “Thanks Tom. This is why we moved to Settle. This shop would have been cleaned out in two-and-a-half minutes in Bolton.” And another said: “I’ve just come from the centre of Manchester. I forgot just how lovely Settle is. This has made my day.”

Mr Algie said: “It was a spur of the moment decision, I just wanted to spend the holidays with my family but thought it would be quite nice to open up the shop, so this seemed like a good solution.” He fashioned his honesty box out of a funnel and a plastic cereal box and placed it behind the counter.

A note attached read: “Yes, I have given everyone the day off, including me, so please choose the items you want and place the right money inside, Merry Christmas.” In total the days takings came to £187.66 and two euros, with the biggest amount £17 for a set of three-step aluminium ladders. Mr Algie said: “It is nice to know there are a lot of good honest people out there and not everything is all doom and gloom.”

I featured a couple of the “Wherethehellismatt” videos last year. I thought they were good and the idea of people dancing around all over the world was simple but uplifting. Now jaunted has an article which says the whole thing was a photoshop hoax, apparently with Matt himself making the confession on video. I’m not actually sure if the original was a hoax or the hoax was a hoax. I mean robotic dancers? I don’t think so!